The U.S. Government shut down over the last weekend. I wanted to learn and talk about what happens to the military when this happens. It is more than simply troops don’t paid. There are real consequences when the government is not paying troops. There is a great Military.com article that goes over the major areas that are impacted by a government shutdown. Military.com – How government shutdown would impact pay & benefits .
NOTE: The following is the article from Military.com, and are not my words. I used this because it summarizes the scope of the issue concisely.
Troop Pay
Although active duty troops and Guard and Reservists on active duty orders are expected to show-up for work during a shutdown, they will not get paid unless Congress passes a separate piece of legislation to do so. Such a bill was awaiting action from the House and Senate Saturday.
Without that legislation, known as the Pay Our Military Act, troops will receive partial paychecks Feb. 1 only for days worked prior to Jan. 20.
Troops Killed in Action
Newly bereaved family members would not receive the Pentagon’s $100,000 death gratuity during a shutdown or military-funded travel to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, or elsewhere for the dignified transfer or military funeral or memorial.
VA Disability Pay & GI BIll Benefits
However, during the last shutdown in 2013, VA officials warned that if the closure extended beyond several weeks, disability checks were unlikely to go out to more than 5.1 million veterans.
Military Moves and Travel
Military families about to make a permanent change of station (PCS) move or troops preparing for temporary travel (TDY) have their travel on hold until after the shutdown, according to guidance issued by the Defense Department late Jan. 19.
Those who have already departed on military move orders can complete their move, according to the guidance. Those in the midst of TDY travel should return to their duty station, the guidance states
Medical Care on Base
While military hospitals and on base dental clinics will stay open for emergencies, inpatient care and acute care, all other types of care — including elective procedures and primary-care appointments — will be canceled until the shutdown is lifted.
On-Base Child Care
On-base military child care centers will stay open on a case-by-case basis, depending on whether they are seen as “essential.” Users should contact their specific Child Development Center (CDC) for details.
On-Base Schools
Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools will stay open during a shutdown. However, all extracurricular activities, such as sporting events, will be canceled, the guidance says. On-base schools that are operated by local school districts are not be affected by a shutdown.
Commissaries
Stateside commissaries, however, will close by Tuesday night, officials said, while those outside the U.S. and in some rural locations will remain open since they are considered “essential.” Those include two stores in Guam, a store in Puerto Rico, and commissaries at Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center Bridgeport and Fort Irwin in California; Coast Guard Station Kodiak and Fort Greely in Alaska; and Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.
I think our congressmen forget that games they play involve real Americans, not pawns a chessboard……
Power Breathing & Meditation presented by Project Welcome Troops
This week I talked to JJ Bennet who is helping coordinate a Power Breath and Meditation Class by Project Welcome Home Troops. PWHT has a class starting January 24th so I wanted to find out more. I am very interested in methods of healing that might be considered different or odd in this era of modern medicine.
I messaged JJ through Irreverent Warriors Boston (Irreverent Warriors Boston – Facebook Page) and setup a time to talk with him. He is a 8 year Navy Veteran who has done work with the VA. He also spends a lot of time working with Veterans just as a way to take of us. He told me about his experiences with Power Breath and why he feels it worked so well for him.
As JJ was talking I think what stood out most was that this was not a sale. This was his experience with using meditation and focused breathing to deal with everything from rush hour driving on Route 3 (Bostonians know what he is talking about) to grocery shopping. JJ spoke from someone who walks his talk. I found myself wondering how this would work for me.
If you look at the image below you will see that there is a class starting January 24th going through the 28th. The class will be hosted at the West Roxbury VA in the Barsamian Auditorium. This class if free to Veterans. You can reach out Chuck Foster at chuck.foster@pwht.org, or call him (978) 314-7052 for more information.
I am going to try to go and see what this is all about. It would be good to experience what JJ did and see what this can do for me.
FitzyMess Update
Good to see FitzyMess on FitzyMess Facebook Video this week. Check out his album, Welcome to the Infantry and Mess on all the usual places.
So as I said in my podcast, I am wearing the Georgia Bulldogs swag. Jill St. Jacques and Tim Montjoy have been guests and are listeners of the podcast. On Episode 60 – Operation Teammate, Founder Tim Montjoy USAF Ret. predicted that Georgia would play for the National Championship back in September, I made the promise that I would wear the gear if his prediction came true. So here it is, I hope your boys pull it off Tim.
You can find out more about Operation Teammate by going to their website Operation Teammate
The Word
I read about Peter Mimms last June and thought wow, someone took the prize from the Marine Corps as to who can play hide and seek the best. My thoughts went back to the Marine who survived two days in the ocean after falling or jumping overboard. (Chicago Tribune Article about LCpl Mayo falling overboard).
Seamen Mimms hid on the Missile Cruiser USS Shiloh for a week. The USS Shiloh is about 570 long and 55 feet wide at her widest point. With a crew of about 400, it would seem that finding something, much less a person wouldn’t be that difficult.
Not only did Peter Mimms hide undetected, he did it for a whole week and would have stayed hidden longer if one of fellow crew members did catch him. So I am reading all of this and thinking that this guy is a grade A sh**bird, nothing to see here.
That was until I read the Navy Times Story on Peter Mimms that detailed his financial and marriage problems. These were real problems and it seems he went through the chain of command for help. When he did not get the help he needed, he decided to hide out.
I asked myself who is to blame here? Certainly Peter Mimms could have handled this better. However, he went through the chain of command and didn’t get what he needed. What could his captain done to help him in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Let me know what you think. travis@oscarmikeradio.com
Upcoming Event
I was on the Irreverent Warriors Boston Facebook Page when I saw this event. I talked to one of the coordinators and will try to have him on next week to talk more about how breathing can help Veterans deal with PTSD, Anxiety, and other problems. This is free to Veterans and I am looking forward to learning more.
I was asked, “How do I get on the show?” The simple answer is you need to email me – travis@oscarmikeradio.com. I will see what you are about and take it from there. If you are active duty, a veteran or someone who supports us, or have something military related to talk about then we can get the conversation going. Then if everything works out, I will schedule a time to come on the podcast. It is just that easy.
The Word
A good friend of mine gave me this book to read. The title is “Make Your Bed”. It was written by U.S. Navy Admiral (Ret) William McRaven. Admiral McRaven served with the SEALs and has a long and distinguished career.
Make your Bed is short. It is 104 pages long, and didn’t take me long to read. I read it again and realized that the best part about the book is it is laid out in easy to digest concepts. Completing a task before you leave your room, your home or driveway can start a pattern where you can tackle larger things in life because you have done something small.
The chapters of the book had stories from Admiral McRaven’s days in SEAL training as well as challenges serving as a SEAL Team Commander. Each chapter was focused on simple ways to meet and conquer life’s difficulties.
I think this is a book you can give anyone at any point of their lives. I think is especially true for those leaving the military and transitioning into civilian life. Thanks to my friend Kola, who loaned this to me. I strongly recommend checking it out.
Complaint Department
POG and GRUNT were not happy about this story – Army Recruits go Home for Holidays . They were not happy. Even the Air Force doesn’t do that for their recruits.
The U.S. Government shut down over the last weekend. I wanted to learn and talk about what happens to the military when this happens. It is more than simply troops don’t paid. There are real consequences when the government is not paying troops. There is a great Military.com article that goes over the major areas that are impacted by a government shutdown. Military.com – How government shutdown would impact pay & benefits .
This week I talked to JJ Bennet who is helping coordinate a Power Breath and Meditation Class by Project Welcome Home Troops. PWHT has a class starting January 24th so I wanted to find out more. I am very interested in methods of healing that might be considered different or odd in this era of modern medicine.
So as I said in my podcast, I am wearing the Georgia Bulldogs swag. Jill St. Jacques and Tim Montjoy have been guests and are listeners of the podcast. On 
I read about Peter Mimms last June and thought wow, someone took the prize from the Marine Corps as to who can play hide and seek the best. My thoughts went back to the Marine who survived two days in the ocean after falling or jumping overboard. (
